Guide to Building an E-commerce Website
How to Build an E-commerce website.
If you have a product to sell and are looking for a way to meet the needs of your customer base directly, then designing an e-commerce website is the way to go. Of course, you’re going to need to understand the process involved if you want to succeed. We’re going to get the ball running by providing you with a quick guide that will help you build an e-commerce website in no time:
Pick a Name and Get Your Domain
You don’t necessarily need to choose a business name or e-commerce name first, but it’s definitely one of the early tasks that you must complete. If you don’t already have a name in mind, perhaps ask some trusted friends and see if they have any suggestions. Then, once you have a list of possibilities or at least one central name that you just love, check to see if the domain is available and get it registered.
Figure Out What You’d Like to Sell
Figuring out what products you want to sell in your online shop early-on is a no-brainer. Many companies make their own products, but online entrepreneurs have done very well by selling the products of others. Either way, decide what you would like to sell and all of the variations of each item, keeping in mind that more variety is typically the way to go.
Determine a Proper Price Structure
Depending on what you’re selling, determining a proper price structure could take you a few hours or even a few weeks or longer. Many e-commerce businesses often find themselves in a situation where they’re testing prices to see what works best. Go too low and customers may think you’re selling a cheaply made product, but go too high and they might think you’re out of your mind.
Research e-commerce Site Builders
Whether you’re familiar with building websites or are brand spanking new to the process, you can easily find a reputable e-commerce site builder that will make it easy for you. The most popular e-commerce website builders include Wix, Shopify, Squarespace, Zyro, Weebly, and several others. Check out online reviews of some of the most popular ones and look to see if they have the features that will work best for you.
Construct Your E-commerce Website
Once you’ve reviewed the choices and made your selection, it’s time to build an e-commerce website of your very own. Each website builder will walk you through the process step-by-step so that you can create a functional e-commerce site that looks good and works properly. If you have any difficulties, you can always get a professional website designer to do everything for you.
We highly recommend using WordPress to build your e-commerce website. WordPress is user-friendly and has the necessary tools to help you build a powerful e-commerce website.
Choose an E-commerce Platform
As a general rule, any website builder that you choose will work properly with any of the e-commerce platforms that are available. It should come as no surprise to anyone that Amazon is the most popular e-commerce platform right now, but sites like eBay, Walmart, Target, Craigslist, and Etsy are all popular, as well. Just like with the builder itself, check out the pros and cons of each and decide which you think is best.
Decide How You’ll Accept Payment
You probably already guessed that the more types of payment your e-commerce site can accept, the more orders you’re likely to get. Luckily, it’s pretty easy and inexpensive to set up your site to accept credit cards, PayPal, and more. You may also have the option to accept a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, which can help bring in customers, too.
Go Over the Site
Once your e-commerce website is complete, you need to go over it with a fine-toothed comb. Check that you have the proper images, proofread your spelling, and basically just make sure that the site looks good. If you’re unsure about your language skills, we suggest that you use an app such as Grammarly or have a trusted friend or two go over it.
Rigorously Test Out the Website Features
Now that you know the site looks good, it’s time to test out its functionality. You can start by going to each of the product pages and making sure that every link takes you to another page properly. You’ll also want to emulate a few orders by adding products to the shopping cart. It may also be a good idea to order a single product and have it delivered to you so that you can witness the entire process from beginning to end.
Ensure Responsive Web Design
You’re probably already aware of this, but we’ll say it anyway – if you’re going to build an online store, then it needs to work across all types of devices. This process, known as responsive web design, will ensure that all customers will be able to navigate the site and place an order, whether they’re using a computer, laptop, tablet, or phone. This has become especially important in recent years because the majority of orders are done through smartphones.
Link Up Social Media Accounts
Building and launching your e-commerce website is only part of what will make it successful. Prior to launch, create at least a few social media accounts that act as advertisements for the e-commerce site and then make sure that they’re all linked up and referenced to each other. This will allow existing and potential customers to have an easier time learning about your business and its products while giving them the ability to navigate back and forth.
Launch the Site (Even If It’s a Soft Launch)
Once you’ve gone through everything else and it’s all set to go, it’s finally time to launch the site. If you’re feeling apprehensive or afraid that you might get overwhelmed because you have a lot of different products to sell, you could always go with a soft launch instead. This is where you select a handful of products and start selling those, with specific advertised dates as to when other products will be available.
Contact P3 Agency and Our Team Will Build the E-commerce Website of Your Dreams!
By following these simple tips, you’ll be able to build an e-commerce website in no time. If you’d like professional assistance, keep in mind that P3 agency has been offering marketing services and web design in Clearwater for over 30 years! If you have any questions about our services or would like a free marketing assessment, give us a call at (727) 474-9064 today.